I've contributed a handful of posts, now here is a brief introduction!

I became interested in Buddhism around 8 years ago. Initially it was Tibetan buddhism (new kadampa tradition), however that didn't really suit me, and in the past year or so I have taken a stronger interest in Theravada. I still have some strong influences from Tibetan buddhism, but one by one I am finding the Theravadan equivalent, and modifying my mind and my practice. Thus concepts such as the jhanas, metta, etc are all relatively new to me, as are the suttas from the Pali Canon. Previously all my reading and practice was heavily influenced by NKT.

I live with my girlfriend and work full time. I don't have any practicing buddhist friends, but this doesn't really seem to cause me any problems. In fact, I lived in a NKT buddhist centre for around a year, several years ago, and living with other practitioners didn't necessarily help.

My main interests at present are:

- How can I apply a suitable level of structure to my practice?- How might my meditation schedule look? What should I be meditating on?- How can I make good progress whilst working full time?- How might physical exercise and yoga be incorporated into my practice?

In addition I would like to get to know some fellow buddhists a little better. I'm a little bored of mundane conversation topics!

I have just started the Daily Dhammapada reading practice (4 days ago), and it has suited me so far.

I would be more than glad to answer any questions anyone may have regarding NKT or anything else of interest.

With much metta!

"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

Most of the members here are lay people and I think you will find it is fairly easy to incorporate the practice with lay life -- as long as you don't put too high of a standard; expecting to have complete equanimity in every aspect of lay life, then it will be fine. Some mistakenly try and use the standard and precepts of monks for lay life when the two groups are in fact distinct assemblies with different duties and responsibilities.

The heart of the path is SO simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice. Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing. Of course, there are dozens of meditation techniques to develop samadhi and many kinds of vipassana. But it all comes back to this - just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle. - Ajahn Chah

In case you are not already familiar with it, here's a link to the 'Access to Insight' website: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html It has been, and continues to be, of inestimable helpfulness to me. There is everything there from introductory material, to essays, to entire suttas, in both English translation and the Pali. So I would highly recommend it to anyone entering the study of the Buddha-Dhamma as based on these texts.

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---